Chief Rugby Reporter

Will he stay at No.10?: Kurtley Beale with teammates after the loss to New Zealand. Photo: Getty Images

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie will make "strategic changes" to the under-pressure Wallabies for their coming Test against the Springboks next week.

McKenzie defended the performance of under-fire five-eighth Kurtley Beale and ruled out mass changes to the side that drew one Test with the All Blacks and fell to their third-worst loss against them a week later.

But the coach conceded the side was under the pump and needed to front up physically in Perth on Saturday week.

"While tactically the games are different, you'd like to think most of the time you're picking the best player you've got in a position," McKenzie told panel show Rugby HQ.

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"In terms of mass changes, I don't see that happening but strategic changes are quite possible."

What that means for Beale and teammate Bernard Foley – who have both started Tests at No.10 this year – is unclear.

When asked whether Beale's return to the No.10 Test jersey had worked, he replied: "People are going to always judge those things after the fact."

"We had a plan back in June about who we thought were the two best options for us. Foley played there and did all right in the French series and we had ideas to use Beale there as well, but he played in other positions due to injuries and things that happened during the games, so we didn't get the chance to look at that.

"We were very confident about [using Beale at No.10], I've known Beale for a long time at No.10 and while he hasn't played there of late he's played a lot of rugby there. He stepped up in different ways. It's a tough environment to play the All Blacks, it's not an easy day at the office.

"I was really pleased [with] his goal-kicking, that was an area people really questioned, he missed one kick out of nine. Things like that were really positive for us. But we'll look at all that. He brings different things to Bernard, and that's why we picked him."

Foley's more traditional carriage in the No.10 role and his appetite for the physical contest might suit the Wallabies' plans to upset the direct and physical Springboks, while Beale's gifted playmaking could once again provide the spark to help Australia exploit any fatigue in South Africa's ranks in the second half.

Either way, the Wallabies will be busting to prove they are not the side that was bashed and bullied by the All Blacks at Eden Park.

"We're under pressure. We had a period there when we were winning each time we played, but those things only last for so long," McKenzie said.

"We were able to stop the All Blacks the week before from their winning run and they stopped us as well.

"The trick is to rebound. It doesn't get much easier when we play the Springboks ... but it's still about being physical and fronting up."

The Wallabies coach also revealed the shock of last week's loss was taking a while to shake off.

"There will be no more disappointed person than myself," he said. "It's been a tough couple of days, I don't suffer losses well at all, it's been a hard one to put aside.

"But I can go back a week before that and we should have won the game [a draw, in Sydney]. I know how the game works, you can get on the wrong side of the scoreboard pretty quickly these days, we put 50 on France in the first Test and it was 6-3 in the second Test.

"Things change pretty quickly in a week. We just need to have the right attitude, and dust ourselves off and say that wasn't our best work."

There are just three Tests left in Australia this year – South Africa in Perth next weekend, Argentina on the Gold Coast and the third Bledisloe in Brisbane in October.

McKenzie acknowledged the disappointment of losing another chance to win back the Bledisloe Cup, but hoped the side would be judged over the longer term.

"It's disappointing because we put a lot of work into the preparation and we also created a lot of expectation," he said. "When you don't meet expectations that's disappointing.

"But the last 12 months have been pretty positive so we just need to keep at it. You don't want one performance to define you good or bad. Consistency over time is important for Australian rugby and we've been doing that.

"We need to get back at it and keep going and hopefully performance over time will be the most important thing that people judge us on."

34 comments so far

McKenzie feels in that very precarious position of trying to decide whether to pick a side that can beat the Springboks, or pick a side that will not lose too badly for a 2nd straight week. Does he select a heavy forward pack and attempt to gain parity up front, or does he opt for greater mobility and hope to run the big SA forwards around? Palu worth persevering with or he just a good Super15 player for winning teams? Can Phipps be significantly more effective at halfback than a mediocre White -- or are they both largely of the same international quality? Does he stack his midfield with ball-runners and hope to bust open the Springbok backline or does a Foley, Toomua, Kuridrani midfield better limit a repeat of last Saturday night's debacle? Either way, it feels an uncertain selection committee and a very fragile playing group. Feels like Rugby Championship 2013 all over.

Commenter

Richard

Date and time

August 28, 2014, 11:34PM

Never got the vibe that Palu is any chop. He played a blinder vs Canterbury in his debut season some years ago but since then he pretty much struggles to make the advantage line. Madness is a much better option

Commenter

Crusaders.Fan

Date and time

August 29, 2014, 7:51AM

There should be no decision to be made

Play to your strengths and play to win.

Commenter

piru

Location

Perth via Rakaia

Date and time

August 29, 2014, 9:03AM

I think McKenzie will always pick a side to win. Not sure where you get this "Not to lose too badly" from. I don't know of any coach who will pick a side to lose - unless it is to get on the right side of a knockout competition. Whether you like McKenzie's selections or not I think he will always pick who he thinks can win the game. The real issue is whether he has enough integrity and honour to admit his mistakes.

Commenter

Masher

Date and time

September 01, 2014, 11:21AM

After watching Bledisloe 2 last Saturday, most startling for Australian rugby fans was the simply the lack of progress made in the last 10 or more years in matching the All Blacks' big, mobile, skillful forwards. In RWC 2007, the All Blacks clattered Australia. And they are still doing it. It is no surprise that in the history of the All Blacks, many of their most revered players have been forwards. By contrast, Australians might recall John Eales but very few others. The type of rugby played by All Black forwards is the essence of why they are so good and so successful. Until we can begin to match that, we will not bridge the gaping chasm.

Commenter

Wobblez

Date and time

August 29, 2014, 12:09AM

In 2007 RWC the French forwards clattered the All Blacks. In 2011 the Wallaby forwards clattered the All Blacks at Suncorp. In 2014 the Wallabies clattered the French.

Commenter

johnny-boy

Date and time

August 29, 2014, 8:15AM

Johnny-boy...one swallow doesn't make a summer! The Wallaby forwards will get one over the AB forwards with about the same frequency as Halley's Comet visits earth. If you guys don't get parity up front in Perth, it will be curtains again. Your pack is ok, they have proven they can be physical and they will need to be in Perth. Changing too much won't be the answer...fronting up physically will be. I think Aussie will win this one....just.

Mckenzie is going to keep Beale, bring back Kuidrani thus sideling AAC to the wing and bring back his old mate Horwill. Apart from that he is going to blab on about his strategy and how well certain players are doing at training.Unfortunately Mckenzie found that you had to play politics to get the Wallaby job. Now he plays politics to keep the job. Just about everything he says sounds like spin. For all the talk about rebuilding which we have heard over the last ten years it has been hard to see the logic behind selection strategies. Talk about being physical or improving our setpiece is done by 'working hard at training' rather than searching for new talent which may have the attributes to deliver in these areas. Then players are recycled over and over. Instead of these basic attributes being developed the Wallabies talk about the game like "Kafes chalkboard" with the emphasis on two playmaker theories and "guys with X factor."Mckenzie is now this kind of coach. Following in the footsteps of Eddie Jones. Hopefully we won't have to listen to his bulldust for two world cup campaigns.